Australian U-19 player Jake Fraser-McGurk has returned to Australia from the ongoing U-19 World Cup in South Africa to receive treatment for injuries sustained at a nature reserve by a monkey scratch, and will miss the rest of the tournament.
Photo by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images
E-commerce billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has backtracked on his bizarre plan to find a girlfriend to take into space by way of reality TV show. Maezawa, the founder of Zozotown, made a significant downpayment on a private SpaceX flight around the Moon and had initially planned to take several artists with him, but later announced plans to solicit a romantic partner for the journey and beyond through an AbemaTV documentary to be called “Full Moon Lovers.”
Now those dreams are dead, as Maezawa has requested the show’s cancellation citing “personal reasons.” “Despite my genuine and honest determination toward the show, there was a part of me that still had mixed feelings about my participation,” he writes on Twitter. “To think that 27,722...
The concept of the tour to the country has been a long-stated aim of the MCC World Cricket Committee. Photo by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images
E-commerce billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has backtracked on his bizarre plan to find a girlfriend to take into space by way of reality TV show. Maezawa, the founder of Zozotown, made a significant downpayment on a private SpaceX flight around the Moon and had initially planned to take several artists with him, but later announced plans to solicit a romantic partner for the journey and beyond through an AbemaTV documentary to be called “Full Moon Lovers.”
Now those dreams are dead, as Maezawa has requested the show’s cancellation citing “personal reasons.” “Despite my genuine and honest determination toward the show, there was a part of me that still had mixed feelings about my participation,” he writes on Twitter. “To think that 27,722...
Photo by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images
E-commerce billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has backtracked on his bizarre plan to find a girlfriend to take into space by way of reality TV show. Maezawa, the founder of Zozotown, made a significant downpayment on a private SpaceX flight around the Moon and had initially planned to take several artists with him, but later announced plans to solicit a romantic partner for the journey and beyond through an AbemaTV documentary to be called “Full Moon Lovers.”
Now those dreams are dead, as Maezawa has requested the show’s cancellation citing “personal reasons.” “Despite my genuine and honest determination toward the show, there was a part of me that still had mixed feelings about my participation,” he writes on Twitter. “To think that 27,722...
Kyle Jamieson has been called into the New Zealand ODI squad for the first time for the ODIs against India, while Scott Kuggeleijn and Hamish Bennett have been recalled after last playing ODIs in Ireland in 2017. Photo by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images
E-commerce billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has backtracked on his bizarre plan to find a girlfriend to take into space by way of reality TV show. Maezawa, the founder of Zozotown, made a significant downpayment on a private SpaceX flight around the Moon and had initially planned to take several artists with him, but later announced plans to solicit a romantic partner for the journey and beyond through an AbemaTV documentary to be called “Full Moon Lovers.”
Now those dreams are dead, as Maezawa has requested the show’s cancellation citing “personal reasons.” “Despite my genuine and honest determination toward the show, there was a part of me that still had mixed feelings about my participation,” he writes on Twitter. “To think that 27,722...
Photo credit should read JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images
Netflix has ordered a live-action show based on One Piece, the colossally popular Japanese manga and anime franchise, as first reported by Deadline. It’s said to be a ten-episode series from publisher Shueisha and Tomorrow Studios, the studio also working on Netflix’s forthcoming Cowboy Bebop show.
Steven Maeda (The X-Files, Lost) is reportedly the showrunner as well as writer and executive producer, with Matt Owens (Luke Cage, Agents of SHIELD) also writing and executive-producing. Further executive producer credits go to One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda and Tomorrow Studios’ Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements. Plans for the series were first announced in 2017, though Netflix wasn’t on board at that point.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: A One Piece...
Photo credit should read JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images
Netflix has ordered a live-action show based on One Piece, the colossally popular Japanese manga and anime franchise, as first reported by Deadline. It’s said to be a ten-episode series from publisher Shueisha and Tomorrow Studios, the studio also working on Netflix’s forthcoming Cowboy Bebop show.
Steven Maeda (The X-Files, Lost) is reportedly the showrunner as well as writer and executive producer, with Matt Owens (Luke Cage, Agents of SHIELD) also writing and executive-producing. Further executive producer credits go to One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda and Tomorrow Studios’ Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements. Plans for the series were first announced in 2017, though Netflix wasn’t on board at that point.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: A One Piece...
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Samsung Electronics just released fourth-quarter earnings that told much the same story as the rest of 2019. Revenue was more or less flat year-on-year — up 1 percent to 59.9 trillion won ($50.7 billion) — while operating profit slid 34 percent to 7.1 trillion won ($6 billion).
The primary reason for the decline remains the fall in prices of memory chips, Samsung’s biggest profit driver in recent years. The display panel business also saw profits fall year-on-year due to weak demand. The mobile division, on the other hand, did better than a year ago, with Samsung calling out “solid” flagship sales and the profitability of phones like the Galaxy A series.
Samsung is hoping that the wider adoption of 5G in 2020 will improve its numbers...
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Samsung Electronics just released fourth-quarter earnings that told much the same story as the rest of 2019. Revenue was more or less flat year-on-year — up 1 percent to 59.9 trillion won ($50.7 billion) — while operating profit slid 34 percent to 7.1 trillion won ($6 billion).
The primary reason for the decline remains the fall in prices of memory chips, Samsung’s biggest profit driver in recent years. The display panel business also saw profits fall year-on-year due to weak demand. The mobile division, on the other hand, did better than a year ago, with Samsung calling out “solid” flagship sales and the profitability of phones like the Galaxy A series.
Samsung is hoping that the wider adoption of 5G in 2020 will improve its numbers...
Photo: Carlton Beener / Blizzard Entertainment
The Overwatch League’s plans for a truly global e-sports league have taken a major hit. Today, Blizzard announced that the China-based games taking place in February and March planned for the 2020 season have been canceled following the outbreak of the coronavirus. In a statement posted this evening to Twitter, the league explained that the decision was made to “protect the health and safety of our players, fans, and staff.”
“We hope fans have a safe and happy Lunar New Year, and we remain incredibly excited to play Overwatch League matches in China later this season,” the statement reads. “We’ll share more information about when and where the matches will take place at a later date.”
— Overwatch League...
Image: Epic Games
Epic has announced an in-game Fortnite tournament for this weekend that’s timed with the Australian Open, and players who compete will have a shot to earn the game’s first-ever competition skin. The in-game item can only be earned by placing well in the tournament.
But there is a catch — only players on its OCE (Oceania) or Asia servers can compete for the prize. If that’s you, and if your Fortnite account is level 15 or higher, Epic says you’ll be able to compete in the Summer Smash Cup, which takes place on February 1st and 2nd from 7PM AEDT to 10PM AEDT (3AM ET to 6AM ET). You’ll be able to play in 10 matches each day to earn in-game points for surviving a battle royale match for as long as you can and earning eliminations. You can...
Photo: Carlton Beener / Blizzard Entertainment
The Overwatch League’s plans for a truly global e-sports league have taken a major hit. Today, Blizzard announced that the China-based games taking place in February and March planned for the 2020 season have been canceled following the outbreak of the coronavirus. In a statement posted this evening to Twitter, the league explained that the decision was made to “protect the health and safety of our players, fans, and staff.”
“We hope fans have a safe and happy Lunar New Year, and we remain incredibly excited to play Overwatch League matches in China later this season,” the statement reads. “We’ll share more information about when and where the matches will take place at a later date.”
— Overwatch League...
Image: Epic Games
Epic has announced an in-game Fortnite tournament for this weekend that’s timed with the Australian Open, and players who compete will have a shot to earn the game’s first-ever competition skin. The in-game item can only be earned by placing well in the tournament.
But there is a catch — only players on its OCE (Oceania) or Asia servers can compete for the prize. If that’s you, and if your Fortnite account is level 15 or higher, Epic says you’ll be able to compete in the Summer Smash Cup, which takes place on February 1st and 2nd from 7PM AEDT to 10PM AEDT (3AM ET to 6AM ET). You’ll be able to play in 10 matches each day to earn in-game points for surviving a battle royale match for as long as you can and earning eliminations. You can...
Xinhua/Ding Ting via Getty Images
The Chinese government has ordered the shutdown of Tesla’s new factory in Shanghai over coronavirus fears, which will delay the company’s production of the Model 3 there, executives announced in a call with investors. The ramp of the Model 3 production will be delayed by a week and a half and the shutdown may “slightly” impact the company’s profitability in the first quarter of 2020, Tesla finance chief Zach Kirkhorn said.
“At this point we’re expecting a one to one-and-a-half week delay in the ramp of Shanghai built Model 3s due to a government required factory shutdown,” he said on the call.
Tesla began delivering the first cars produced at its Shanghai factory at the end of 2019. The deliveries marked an important milestone for Tesla,...
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Facebook says it has agreed to pay $550 million to settle a class-action lawsuit regarding its use of facial recognition technology. The news, reported first this evening by The New York Times, was part of a disclosure the company made as part of its fourth quarter earnings report today.
The case against Facebook has been going on since 2015. The lawsuit alleged that Facebook’s initial version of the its Tag Suggestions tool, which scans a user’s face in photos and offers suggestions about who that person might be, stored biometric data without user consent, violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act.
In 2018, Facebook began more transparently explaining its...
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Nearly four years after the California Institute of Technology sued Apple and Broadcom for allegedly infringing four of the university’s patents on Wi-Fi data transmission, a federal jury has agreed that the two companies infringed — and has awarded $1.1 billion in damages to Caltech for the infringement, Law360 reports.
Reporting from the courtroom today, Law360 writes that the jury ordered Apple to pay $837 million, with Broadcom owing $270 million. That seems to be based on Caltech’s hypothetical estimate of what it might have been able to negotiate in royalties back in 2010 — if Broadcom and Apple had actually struck a deal with Caltech before they put Broadcom’s Wi-Fi chips into new Apple devices.
Caltech figured that Apple would...
Fantasy Island is coming your way. What is Fantasy Island, you ask? Well, Fantasy Island is an upcoming supernatural horror film based on ABC’s 1977 TV series of the same name. The miracles of Wikipedia’s search engine, eh?
The pic is set to be released this Valentine’s Day and as is custom this close to a movie’s premiere, one last trailer has been provided, which warns us to be careful what we wish for. Unfortunately, it’s not terribly long, but you can catch the latest preview for yourself up in the player above.
Sony Pictures Entertainment has also been kind enough to provide a synopsis of the film for those (like me) who had no idea what Fantasy Island was about, or that there ever was a Fantasy Island in the first place. Their description tells all, as you can see below:
The enigmatic Mr. Roarke (Michael Peña) makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical resort. But when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island’s mystery in order to escape with their lives.
The best part of this is the image of Mickey Rourke providing cursed wishes to unwitting holiday-makers. He’s not in the film, but now I’m thinking they’ve missed a trick. Mickey Rourke’s Faust. Mickey Rourke’s Faust On the Beach. Mickey Rourke’s Faust in Paradise. I’ve said Mickey Rourke’s name too much now, haven’t I? Is he going to appear in front of me just like the scriptures said? Ah, the Rourke Scriptures are completely made up. I made them up. That’s a bum note to end on.
I was absolutely buzzing at the tantalizing prospect of Nicholas Cage unlocking the secret conspiracy to conceal an ageing action star in the obscure 20s reboot of a 70s fantasy drama in Disney’s long-awaited threequel adventure National Treasure 3. Do you need me to elaborate?
Turns out, just like the scriptures, I made that all up. That isn’t the plot to National Treasure 3. In future, I’d leave the plot descriptions to Sony. After all, their Fantasy Island one was actually real. Bet it won’t be as exciting as mine, though.
Next month will see the release of the latest comic book movie from DC and Warner Bros., with Birds of Prey looking to follow in Joker’s R-rated footsteps and hit it big at the box office. While we don’t expect Cathy Yan’s female-driven blockbuster to come anywhere close to replicating the billion-dollar haul and subsequent awards push that the Joaquin Phoenix-starring film has seen, the critical and commercial renaissance of the DCEU certainly bodes well for it.
That being said, Birds of Prey hasn’t been without issues, given that we know John Wick’s Chad Stahelski had to be drafted in to oversee some extensive reshoots and punch up the action a bit. But word on the street is that the additional shooting has only improved things. And if the first wave of reactions is to be believed, then WB has another big hit on their hands. Again, maybe not as big as Joker, but judging by what’s being said below, it seems as if people are really going to dig the pic.
#BirdsOfPrey is a lot of fun and violent as hell. The Birds are so entertaining and distinctly different from each other. Ewan McGregor is so sinister and often hilarious. pic.twitter.com/4scxbS6GwT
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) January 29, 2020
If #BirdsOfPrey told me anything, it’s that we need a whole lot more Canary and Huntress! They are great but there’s a lot left on the bone! pic.twitter.com/kSCB59c3Mm
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) January 29, 2020
#BirdsofPrey is so up my street it’s RIDICULOUS – fashionable, weirdo ladies breaking men’s shins & aggressively complimenting each other!! Yes please and thank you!!!
— Clarisse Loughrey (@clarisselou) January 29, 2020
Cathy Yan’s #BIRDSOFPREY is a criminally fun celebration of sisterhood, with some of my favourite fight scenes in recent memory. I was grinning from ear to ear the entire thing; making a pub debut with my review soon! pic.twitter.com/QBEgyf6oan
— Millicent Thomas (@MillicentOnFilm) January 29, 2020
Just saw #BirdsofPrey and am happy to report that it's my favorite modern DC movie yet. Like Shazam, it carves its own path with totally unique aesthetic, action, and tone. Margot, Ewan and all the rest are 100% fantabulous. Why aren't there more roller skate action scenes?? pic.twitter.com/BDipKiB0qU
— Mike Rougeau (@RogueCheddar) January 29, 2020
#BirdsofPrey is a riot – oozing with attitude and some of the most inventive, bone-crunching fight sequences in the superhero genre to date. I went in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but has style to spare.
— Laura Prudom (@LauInLA) January 29, 2020
Just saw @birdsofpreywb courtesy of WB. I haven’t had this much fun at the movies in a while. Don’t let anyone tell you not to see this movie because they just don’t want you to live YOUR BEST LIFE and who needs that negativity in 2020? Non-spoiler review tomorrow.
#BirdsofPrey pic.twitter.com/23x2AlizJK
— Darknight Archivist
(@HistoftheBatman) January 29, 2020
#BirdsOfPrey has terrific action, humor & some of the more memorable characters we’ve seen in a DC movie, but the biggest highlight is Margot Robbie. She is fantabulous as Harley, while also proving that sometimes our most valued relationships are the ones we have w/ good food pic.twitter.com/EDQ3sr5JtL
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) January 29, 2020
#BirdsofPrey is like if John Wick were run through a crazy funhouse filter and stuffed full of glitter and f-bombs. It's everything you could ever want from #HarleyQuinn and her badass girl gang. Into this movie completely.
pic.twitter.com/Y2DZgPYN2Y
— Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) January 29, 2020
the “birds of prey” embargo has lifted so now i can scream about how absurdly fun it is & the way it completely washed the taste of “suicide squad” out of my mouth
girls and gays, this one’s for us pic.twitter.com/KPAVcIjmnP
— keaton kilde (@keatonkildebell) January 29, 2020
#BirdsofPrey is delightfully unassuming and unconcerned with its place in a larger context. It's a bonkers bananas crime comedy and a genuine party movie. Everyone is having a blast but Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Huntress like a supporting character from THE TICK. It rocks. pic.twitter.com/7MRMKkZ0oi
— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) January 29, 2020
#BirdsOfPrey: winning characters, above-average action, and a killer soundtrack hampered by uneven tone and pacing. The girls at their best together, and they're not together enough. Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Huntress is the not-so-secret MVP.
— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) January 29, 2020
While these reactions are certainly encouraging to see, it’s important to note that they should be taken with a grain of salt. Not only are some of these people the same ones who also praised Justice League and Suicide Squad back in the day after they saw those films early, but it’s also hard to publicly badmouth a movie after a studio has invited you to its premiere or included you in the first wave of critic screenings. So just keep that in mind when reading these.
All that being said, Birds of Prey does indeed look like a pretty good time and with the DC brand in very good health at the moment, at least as far as big screen efforts go, we have no reason to think that this next movie from the company won’t be a hit when it opens in theaters next month.
Xinhua/Ding Ting via Getty Images
The Chinese government has ordered the shutdown of Tesla’s new factory in Shanghai over coronavirus fears, which will delay the company’s production of the Model 3 there, executives announced in a call with investors. The ramp of the Model 3 production will be delayed by a week and a half and the shutdown may “slightly” impact the company’s profitability in the first quarter of 2020, Tesla finance chief Zach Kirkhorn said.
“At this point we’re expecting a one to one-and-a-half week delay in the ramp of Shanghai built Model 3s due to a government required factory shutdown,” he said on the call.
Tesla began delivering the first cars produced at its Shanghai factory at the end of 2019. The deliveries marked an important milestone for Tesla,...
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Facebook says it has agreed to pay $550 million to settle a class-action lawsuit regarding its use of facial recognition technology. The news, reported first this evening by The New York Times, was part of a disclosure the company made as part of its fourth quarter earnings report today.
The case against Facebook has been going on since 2015. The lawsuit alleged that Facebook’s initial version of the its Tag Suggestions tool, which scans a user’s face in photos and offers suggestions about who that person might be, stored biometric data without user consent, violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act.
In 2018, Facebook began more transparently explaining its...
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Nearly four years after the California Institute of Technology sued Apple and Broadcom for allegedly infringing four of the university’s patents on Wi-Fi data transmission, a federal jury has agreed that the two companies infringed — and has awarded $1.1 billion in damages to Caltech for the infringement, Law360 reports.
Reporting from the courtroom today, Law360 writes that the jury ordered Apple to pay $837 million, with Broadcom owing $270 million. That seems to be based on Caltech’s hypothetical estimate of what it might have been able to negotiate in royalties back in 2010 — if Broadcom and Apple had actually struck a deal with Caltech before they put Broadcom’s Wi-Fi chips into new Apple devices.
Caltech figured that Apple would...
